Napkin package



C. H. COONS NAPKIN PACKAGE Filed Oct. 20} 1935 Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NAPKIN PACKAGE Application October 20, 1933, Serial No. 694,503

1 Claim.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in packages for folded paper articles and more particularly to that class known as serviettes.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel package of serviettes or the like from which single serviettes can be readily extracted one at a time, the nature of the package and folded serviettes therein being such that a novel gripping portion or pull tab of an outermost serviette will always be disposed outwardly from the package to be grasped by a customer.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawing.

I am aware that various improvements have been made in this and other allied arts, examples of which are set forth in Patents 1,880,345 and 1,663,391.

The form of serviette shown in Patent 1,880,345 is folded in a manner to produce (in cross section) twelve layers of material on one side with only four layers on the other side. This arrangement produces a very uneven package when the serviettes are secured together or placed within a dispensing cabinet. Due to this bulge on one side, the serviettes often become pied, thus preventing efiicient or positive extraction of the same from a cabinet. folding the serviette, as shown in the drawing, in a manner that one side contains twelve layers while the other has eight layers of material. This arrangement presents a more even package and a more efiicient extracting operation. The tab portion in the above patent is made up of twice as many layers as the so-called body portion. This feature produces a rather stifl' tab which lies against the body portion at all times. The arrangement of my tab portion is such as to constitute only one-third of the layers and represents one-half of the body thickness and is therefore more pliable. The ends of my tab are also free, thus permitting the various layers comprising the tab to bulge outwardly away from the body portion and present the tab in a manner to be readily grasped for extraction.

The arrangement shown in Patent 1,663,391 while preventing a bulging on one side does not provide any means for forming a projecting tab as provided in my invention.

I overcome this difficulty by Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of my serviettes, partially unfolded to more clearly illustrate my invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the material from which my invention is made, the dotted lines denoting the various lines of fold.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of my invention showing the projecting tab in position to be grasped.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the stack of serviettes having free edge portions and packaged in a dispensing device.

In the formation of my serviette, as shown in Fig. 3, I use a layer of tissue paper or other suitable material 10, having edge portions 11 and 12 adapted to be folded forwardly in zig-zag fashion along the lines 13 and 14, the edges of these portions meeting along the central line 15', the portions 11 and 12 covering the surface of portions 15 and 16. The portions 11, 15 and 12, 16 are folded rearwardly on the line 1'7, thus forming a series of layers embracing portions 11, 12, 15 and 16. These portions 11, 12, 15 and 16 are folded inwardly along the line 18. It will be noted that the line 18, being below the center, that the edge 19 of the material 10, when folded permits of a relative short free portion or tab 20 to project beyond the layers and which is in turn folded outwardly on the line21.

The folding operation having taken place, there is presented a complete folded serviette 22, having a tab 20, the outer edges of which are free, as indicated at 23. The serviette may now be assembled to form a package 24 as shown in Fig. 1, or a carrier-incorporating package as shown in Figure 5.

To more fully illustrate my invention, I have shown (Fig. 5) a package of serviettes 24 positioned within a dispensing cabinet or container 25 equipped with an annular inwardly extending rim 26 to retain the package therein. Of course the usual spring pressed plunger 25a and other mechanism is located in the rear of the container and serves to push the package forward as the serviettes are used.

The rim 26 is cut out as at 2'7 to form opposed notches which permit the tab to fall outwardly in a manner to be readily grasped by the user. The notches 2'7 are a novel and advantageous feature of the package shown in Figure 5. Obviously it will be advantageous for picnic purposes especially to make the container 25 of the package shown in Figure 5 of cardboard or the like and sell the stack of serviettes and container 25 assembled as a package.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the tab portion usually forms the bottom of the package. The package having more layers of material at the body, more pressure is of course exerted on it by the plunger in the container, thereby causing a slight bulging outwardly of the tab away from the body portion of the serviette.

Containers of the general class described herein are usually placed on the tables and counters of restaurants and as a consequence, are subjected to a certain amount of air circulation. This circulation of the air acts upon the free ends 23 of the tab portions and also serves to cause them to lie away from the body portion of the serviette.

From the foregoing it may be readily understood that various changes and modifications may be had without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the annexed claim.

Since the length of tabs 20 is but a minor portion of the length of the folded serviette it will be easier while grasping the tab to shake the serviette open. Also, since there is no interleaving of tabs of adjacent serviettes the individual ones may be readily removed from the package, Figure 5.

. In the package, Figure 5, the function of the lower edges of notches or openings 2'7 is important in that the tab 20 will thus be disposed in outwardly and upwardly projected position for ready grasping. Also the upper ends of notches 27 are clear of upper ends of tabs to permit same to swing out.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A package of folded serviettes or the like comprising a container having therein a stack of serviettes, said container having an opening at the front thereof, each serviette being characterized by a multiple ply tab provided with a free edge, the tab being folded inwardly from one end of the serviette and toward the exposed face thereof, said front opening being defined by an annular inwardly extending rim with the rim having opposed notches intermediate its uppermost and lowermost portions, the free edge of the tab being in alignment with said notches, whereby the tab may normally fall forward to rest upon the notches to permit grasping of the former for easy removal of the serviette from the container.

CHARLES H. COONS. 

